It Could Be Like This
by QueenMojo
Summary: Carl is wounded. Rick and Michonne are devastated. They find solace in each other. A realization dawns.
1. Chapter 1

**It Could be Like This**

Rick and Michonne finally turned in for the night. Before that, they spent hours by Carl's bed at the infirmary waiting for something positive to happen. It was hard for them to see him laying there motionless. The color in his cheeks gone. His hair, matted in his own blood. Not knowing if he was going to live or die. Hours before that, he was shot by Ron Anderson. Was it jealousy. Was it retaliation for executing his father. Rick was not sure but he felt it was a bit of both. Now, his son lay on that hospital bed in a coma. It is hard for a parent to see their child's life hanging in the balance. Denise, the one doctor around was glad to report that the bullet had passed through his head. She was able to stop the bleeding and remove as many pieces of shrapnel from his head. She said there was a fair amount of swelling of his brain which was worrying. Looking directly at Rick, she said that there was not much else she could do. The rest was left to Carl to pull through.

When it happened, it was as if Rick was watching everything in slow motion. Ron, holding the gun up, taking aim and squeezing the trigger. His son's head snapping back and him crumpling to the ground. Everything after that was a blur. He barely remembered carrying him to the infirmary. As Michonne cleared a path for him, slashing and slicing away, walker heads sent flying, she heard him say, "Not again, not again." At the infirmary, they watched Denise work on Carl. Meanwhile, Michonne, his constant, his rock, held him in her arms. He cried on her shoulders. The pain he felt, it was as though his heart was being ripped out of his chest. Never letting go, she held him for a long time until his tears subsided. He felt low but it was her warm embrace that kept him going. He was glad she was there with him. Without her, he didn't know where he'd be.

Judith spent the night with Rosita and Morgan had already moved out and got his own place. So it was just Rick and Michonne in the house. Rick lay on his back in the twin bed. He stared up at the ceiling and he looked to his right. His heart sank on seeing his son's vacant bed. He was tired not having slept in for more than a day. But he couldn't sleep. Restlessness overtook him. Turning on his side, he shut his eyes and commanded himself to sleep. That didn't work. His eyes popped open, again. He turned on his back then on his side. He did this again, and again. For a while, he tossed and turned before he finally sat straight up. Moving over to the edge of his bed, he buried his head in his hands. His heart racing, anxiety climbing, he felt he was close to losing it. He had to do something. Anything. He stood up and paced up and down the width of the small room for what seemed a thousand times. That didn't work. Heart thumping wildly away, his chest felt tight. He needed to breathe. He needed air. He needed Michonne.

Walking up to her room, he held up his hand about to knock on the door. It was wide open, as she always kept it. Although it was dark, from where he stood, he could see her laying on her back. She, like him, slept fully clothed. Always prepared. Always on high alert. She was in black jeans and white tank top. No covers. Her face was turned away from him so it was hard to determine if she was asleep or awake. His hand up, hovering close to the door, he stood thinking. He wanted her, he needed her, but he didn't want to wake her. She needed her rest. He dropped his hand to his side and turned to walk away.

Michonne had showered and changed before she went to bed. She was tired, her body ached, but she could not sleep. Laying on her back, she thought about Carl. It pained her thinking about him in the infirmary, alone and fighting for his life. A sadness enveloped her. Like an angler, it latched on and wouldn't let go. " _He's got to pull through. He will.",_ she told herself. She turned her head and looked to the other side of her king size bed and remembered Rick insisting on her taking the master bedroom. Then, she refused his offer but he was adamant. So, she took it. It seemed unfair to her to be the one to get the biggest bedroom and the biggest bed in the house. She didn't feel she deserved it. Slowly extending her arm, she touched the empty side of the bed and left her arm there.

A creak in the floor boards pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Rick?", she said softly and turned her head and stared at the doorway.

A figure appeared. Rick slowly entered the room and stood before her and in front of the closet. He was shirtless. He was only in black jeans. Flat, wash board stomach and muscular arms. She has seen him without a shirt before, but not this close. Sitting up, she moved to the edge of the bed and reached for the lamp on the night table nearby.

"No. Don't.", he said. He didn't want her to turn it on.

His voice was low. The lowest she has ever heard. Standing there, not saying anything more, he broke down. Raising her arms up to him, he went to her. Crashing to the floor, he knelt down between her legs, and sobbed. The burden was too much for him to bear. She wrapped her arms about him, cradling his head to her chest while his body shook. Tears came to her eyes as she held him close. His ear, pressed up against her chest, he could hear her heart beating. A calmness came over him. He felt he'd come home. Then, just like that, the tears eased.

All the while, Michonne's eyes were closed. With her head resting on his, she rocked him in her arms and hummed a beautiful tune. She didn't notice when he stopped crying. She did notice however, his arms wrapped around her waist, his hands resting on her hips. The way they were, it felt right. He felt her fingers slowly and gently combing through his hair. Her melodious sounds caressed his ears. Her warm touches relaxed him. No words were exchanged. They drew strength from each other just from holding each other. He breathed more freely and the world no longer felt like it was crashing around him.

 ***~OooO~***

Morning came. Rick was the first to wake. He was in Michonne's bed laying on his side. She was also laying on her side, facing him. Her eyes were closed. Her face angelic. He slowly reached over and moved her locks away from her face. They were still clothed as they were the night before. He felt completely rested, positive, renewed, and it was all to her doing. A thought came to him that it could be like this. He watched her sleep and found himself smiling. Slowly, her eyes opened and she saw him smiling and she smiled right back.

 ****OooxxxooO****


	2. Chapter 2

**It Has To Be**

After having a bite to eat, Rick and Michonne went to the infirmary. They met Denise there. She changed Carl's bandages.

"How is he?", Rick asked when he joined Denise standing by his son's bed.

He looked down at him lying motionless. Denise looked at Carl too.

"Well, the good news is that the swelling on his brain has gone down some. His blood pressure and heart rate has increased slightly. It is still on the low side but not dangerously low. I have given him another round of antibiotics in his IV to stave off any infections. I don't know how much trauma he received to his eye, but, there is a possibility that he will lose sight in it.", Denise reported.

Rick took a chair and sat down next to the bed. He picked up his son's hand and held it. He let what Denise said sink in. He could see that the skin under the edges of Carl's bandages had turned black and blue. Standing next to him was Michonne holding a couple of Carl's favorite comics.

"How soon do you think he'll wake up?", Michonne asked speaking up. She knew Rick was not ready to talk. But, she was certain that Carl was going to pull through. She believed that it was a matter of when, not if, he was going to wake up. She told herself, _It has to be_. Denise turned to her and met her eyes and said,

"It could be in days or in weeks. It depends on how quickly the swelling completely goes away. He is young and strong and from what everyone has been saying, he is a lot like his dad. Determined. He is already showing signs of improvement. Give him time.", Denise said and gave a small smile. Her tone was more positive than when she first saw him.

"Is there anything that we can do to help things along?", Michonne asked and rested a supportive hand on Rick's shoulder.

"Massages help. Moving his arms and legs at least every two hours will help with the circulation.", Denise advised. She then went about showing them how to bend his arms and legs.

"Thank you. You've been ...", Rick broke off and looked away. He was not able to complete his sentence.

"I saw you guys out there. If it weren't for your group, we'd be dead and this place would be gone. Letting you guys in was the best thing Deanna did. Thank you.", Denise said looking at both Rick and Michonne. She looked down at the comics in Michonne's hands and said,

"Read to him. He may actually be listening right now. Hey, I haven't had a shower, so, I'm going back to my place for a while. I you need me, you know where to find me."

She turned and left them. Just as she was about to close the front door behind her, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Rick looking up at Michonne. He smiled and put his hand on top of hers.

 ****~~OooO~~****

For the remainder of the day, Michonne stayed behind massaging and exercising Carl's limbs and reading to him. Rations were low and so Rick and a few others, Glenn, Heath, Rosita, and, Tara, went on a supply run. After reviewing the map, they made two major stops. One of the places they stopped at was a clinic which was about five miles north of home. A few walkers that were there, were easily taken down before they went about emptying the storage rooms there. Much needed hospital bed linen, bandages, syringes, needles, antibiotics and antiseptic were taken. Splints, dressing, pain killers, and other medicines were also found. An ultra sound machine that looked to be in pristine order was taken too. They had to make several trips to and from their van in order to load up on these supplies. On their final sweep, they passed a family planning office along the way. Tara and Rosita were in front with their weapons locked and loaded. Close behind were Glenn and Rick. They too were armed and ready.

"I'm sure there is stuff in here we could use.", Rosita said. She and Tara went inside and left Rick and Glenn in the hallway.

"How's Carl?", Glenn asked standing next to Rick. Holding an M-16 automatic, he peered down the hall then back at Rick.

"Denise said he is making good progress.", Rick replied. He carried an assault rifle and his red-handled machete. He looked up the dark hallway.

"Oh, that's good.", Glenn said. His face lit up on hearing the good news about Carl's condition. Rick could hear the gladness in his voice.

"I left Michonne reading to him.", Rick added. He looked down at his feet and smiled. Though he was happy to learn of his son's improvements, it was the very thought of Michonne that put an instant smile on his face. He reflected on the night before, how she cradled him in her arms and hummed to him. He remembered how safe and how happy he felt.

In the poor lighting, Glenn could manage to make out not only Rick's smile, but the color of his cheeks. He noticed that they had turned a slight tinge of pink. He realized his friend and leader was actually blushing. He quickly made the connection between the shy smile, the blush and mention of Michonne's name. He knew something between them had happened. He was tempted to drill him but he decided on doing it later. Just then, the two women appeared taking with them garbage bags filled with items they deemed useful. Rosita the first to walk out and make her way down the hall towards the exit. She was joined by Glenn. Next was Tara and closely behind her was Rick. One by one, they exited the building and squinted when the bright sunlight met them. Rosita and Glenn walked ahead and hopped into the van. Lingering behind was Rick and Tara.

"Found anything useful?", Rick asked Tara while standing next to the van. The side door was open and Rosita was already sitting in the back seat. Behind her were boxes of canned foods they found at the stop before coming to the clinic. He knew perfectly well what they would find in the family planning office. He just was making idle conversation.

Tara smiled and handed him a box of condoms before hopping in. Looking on, Rosita and Glenn quietly grinned from ear to ear.

 ****~~OooO~~****

When they returned, they were greeted by Maggie and Michonne at the gate. They opened it and allowed them to drive in. Once they were inside, Rick stopped the van and Glenn hopped out. He hugged and kissed Maggie and helped her secure the gate. Meanwhile Michonne ran up to the driver's side. Watching her round the front of the van, his heart raced. From the way she moved, he could tell something had happend. Immediately he thought of Carl. Quickly engaging the hand brakes, he flung the door open and hopped out. He walked up to Michonne who met him half way. She said,

"Carl's awake."

A huge wave of happiness washed over Rick. His mouth fell open, no words escaped it. He wrapped his arms around Michonne and hugged her tightly. She didn't expect it, but, she hugged him right back. They both broke off and hopped into the van. Maggie and Glenn hopped in too and they all drove down to the infirmary with Tara and Rosita wooing and cheering in the back.

When they got to the infirmary, Rick parked in front. All six of them jumped out and went inside. Rick was the first to enter, followed by Michonne. As she stood next to him, he held her hand while the others filed in.

Standing around the bed were Carol and Judith, Sasha, Eugene, Morgan and Abe. They all had huge smiles on their faces. Some had tears rolling down their faces. He couldn't see Carl as Denise was standing directly in front, blocking his view. She too was smiling. She stepped aside. Now, Rick could see his son. He'd finally woken up. Sitting straight up with a huge smile on his face, he said, raspily,

"Dad."

 ****OooxxxooO****


	3. Chapter 3

**Film Geeks**

"Michonne, where are you going?", Rick asked. He briskly walked up to her and matched her pace as she headed towards the gate.

"To get comics.", said Michonne.

"Comics?", Rick asked.

"Carl's going to need something to distract him while he's at home recovering.", Michonne said as she walked with a pep to her step.

Her katana was on her back and a 9 mm on her side.

"I'll go with you. If you don't mind me coming.", Rick offered.

He had a walkie-talkie, his python and his machete with him.

"You didn't have to ask.", Michonne replied looking at him and gave him a smile.

They walked out the gate and hopped into a car that was parked down the road. The tank was half full, which was more than what they needed for the journey and back. With Michonne behind the wheel, they drove east on Red Herring Street.

"There is a strip mall about five miles on Red Herring. It has a hobby store there. It's listed in the telephone book I found back at the house. It should have comics.", Michonne said.

On the way, Rick radioed Daryl and told him where they were going. They drove past a rusted and broken down sign. It was not evident, but it read, Warning: Flash Flood Area.

"That would make Carl happy. That's thoughtful of you. You know, if it weren't for you, he'd still be in a coma.", Rick said.

"What makes you say that?", Michonne asked.

There was a rumble in the distance.

"You read to him, you gave him massages, and you exercised his limbs. I think all of those things helped.", Rick said. He looked up and noticed there were a couple of gray clouds but the sky was still mostly clear and blue.

"I can't take full credit. Denise did fantastic work. While I was there, others came by. Maybe their presence helped in some way. Enid stopped by and talked to him. While I moved his legs, she massaged his hands. Later on, Father Gabe visited and said a prayer. After that, Carol brought Judith. She was so cute, talking to her brother in her own little language before she fell fast asleep on his chest.", Michonne said.

While she spoke, her face brightened up while she thought about Judith. Rick looked on silently. He smiled and enjoyed her spirit. He glimpsed her gold chain and small pendant. The letter 'M' modestly rested at the base of her slender neck. He wondered if it was a gift from someone close. Maybe it was from a boyfriend, her parents, or a sibling. Her past was something she never spoke of. Who was he to talk. He never spoke about his past either. There were some things he didn't see the point of mentioning.

The skies quickly grew dark, the heavens opened up and heavy sheets of rain came down. Soon, the roads became a river bed and within a few minutes, they found themselves driving in knee deep water and mud.

"Turn here and park. There is too much water on the road. We won't get far in this.", Rick said and pointed to a driveway in front of a house. The driveway was on an incline.

After they parked, they hopped out and ran up to the house. The doors were unlocked. Rick rapped on the door a couple of times. There was no movement inside. So, they let themselves in and barricaded the door shut from the inside. After they did a general walk-through of the entire house to ensure that there weren't any walkers present, they deduced that the house hadn't been occupied since the turn. They searched medicine cabinets, pantries, and, cupboards for anything that they could find useful.

"Michonne. Come. You gotta see this.", Rick said.

He called out from one of the bedrooms and Michonne joined him carrying a small flashlight with her.

"Check this out.", Rick said.

Leaning against the wall were two large bookcases filled with comics. Identically sized, they were about seven feet tall and four feet wide. From top to bottom, the shelves were stacked with comics, all in perfectly good condition.

"Nice find mister Grimes.", Michonne said smiling.

"At least we won't have to go to the strip mall.", Rick said.

"You realize that each shelf has about three hundred comics and there are seven shelves. Well, fourteen between the two bookcases.", Michonne remarked. Her eyes lit up.

"That many. That'll keep Carl busy for a while.", Rick said.

"Well, his birthday is coming up so we don't have to give him all of them at once.", Michonne said. She was smiling from ear to ear at the find.

Rick was impressed that she remembered Carl's birthday. He loved that. He also loved that she always thought ahead. Especially when it came to his kids.

"Looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while.", Rick said while looking out the window.

Michonne took a good long look out the window too and she could tell by the way it looked, the rain was not going to let up any time soon. They sat on the carpet with their backs against the wall.

"Radio home again. Check on things there and let Daryl know we're okay.", Michonne suggested.

Rick did just that. He spoke to Daryl and told him that they are waiting it out until the rain eased up before they head home. He inquired about Carl and Judith. The reception was poor but they managed to hear that everything was fine.

Just as Rick ended his conversation with Daryl, the rain came down twice as hard as before. Thunder and lightening started their song and dance. In close succession, flashes of white light lit up the skies and beamed through the slits of the curtains, intermittently lighting up the room. A mixture of low and heavy rumblings were heard. Sounds of thunder also travelled through the floor, their vibrations could be felt.

"Sounds pretty bad out there. Did you find anything in the kitchen?", Rick asked.

"Yeah, one tin of cat food and a Big Kat.", Michonne said and produced a bar of chocolate. She broke it in two and offered Rick a half and he took it.

"Thanks.", Rick said and he ate the chocolate.

As they sat on the floor, they listened to nature's commotion. Michonne sighed and out of the blue said,

"Deborah Kerr."

"Pardon?", Rick said. He heard what she said clearly but wondered what it meant.

"You're supposed to say the name of the lead actor that acted with the person I just mentioned and then I end by saying the name of the film they both appeared in.", Michonne said.

"In that case, Carey Grant.", Rick said and smiled.

Surprised, she looked at him in silence. It turned out that he was a classic film junkie too.

"And you're supposed to say, An Affair To Remember.", Rick continued, further illustrating his knowledge.

"Oh. Right. You're so right. An Affair To Remember.", Michonne said in amazement. She'd half-expected him not to catch on. But, he did.

"Nice game. Was it something you came up with?", Rick asked.

"Actually it was my sister who did. As kids, she and I loved to watch old classic films. We read up on every movie we watched. Who starred in it, the release date, the actors' bio. Stuff like that.", Michonne said.

"Ah. Film buffs.", Rick remarked. He felt relaxed talking with Michonne.

"Yes, we were.", Michonne replied. She smiled to herself and looked down on the floor.

"She died. Before the turn. Car accident.", Michonne admitted solemnly as she spoke about her sister. It had been a long while since she spoke this freely about her family to anyone. With Rick, she felt just that. Free.

"I'm so sorry. You two sounded close.", Rick remarked. He could hear the sadness in her voice.

"We were. We were only a year apart. She was twenty-one when a drunk driver ran a red light. Anyway, she turned our knowledge of old films into a game. We did this from the time we were in middle school. What started out as a rainy day game, we continued on with it. We would play it at any inopportune moment. While waiting in line, before the start of a baseball game, eating dinner, walking home. You name it. If I was in the bathroom having a shower, she'd be on the other side of the door yelling the name of an actor. Whenever I was feeling down, she'd be right there calling out an actor's name of yesteryear and the silver screen geek in me would join in. We'd go on and on. Eventually, I'd stop thinking about how badly I thought I did on an exam, or, about that fight I had with my boyfriend.", Michonne said.

In the dimly lit room, while the rain poured outside, he listened and watched. He found her voice to be soothing and her face, radiantly beautiful. Being with her made him feel lighter and a bit more carefree. A feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. Not since he was a lad. He hoped he had a similar effect on her. He liked being around her.

"So, how about you, what did you do on a rainy days like this?", Michonne asked.

"My two brothers and me were a tad more roudy indoors, much to our mother's dismay. Boomerangs, balls, shoes.", Rick started.

"Shoes?", Michonne remarked.

"Anything we could throw at each other. When we ran out of things to throw, we'd wrestle.", Rick recalled.

Then, there was a pause. Michonne wondered what was going through his mind at that moment. She thought maybe asking questions about his past was not a good thing and began to regret the whole exercise.

"My brothers, they both worked at oil rigs in Alaska. I don't know if they are alive. I can only hope they are ok.", Rick added.

His voice fell when he said this. Just as Michonne was about to say something encouraging and put his mind at ease, a noise suddenly erupted from clear across the house. It sounded like it came from the kitchen. They stopped talking altogether and got to their feet. Michonne grabbed her katana she'd left leaning up in the corner and followed Rick out the room. Quietly, they went down the hall and into the kitchen. They heard another noise. This time, it came from the broom closet. As they got closer to it, they could smell a bad odour. Could there be a walker inside? Although the closet was small, it was large enough for a child to hide in. If there was someone in there, dead or alive, they had to know. They had to be ready to handle whatever may be on the other side of that door.

Rick looked at Michonne and she nodded at him. Her katana was drawn and ready. He had his python in one hand cocked and with the other, he slowly reached out and took hold of the door knob and turned it. He then flung the door wide open. Nothing sprang out at them. The only thing that stared back was a tiny kitten. Relieved, they lowered their weapons.

"Hey there lil' fella.", Rick said tenderly at the small animal.

He went down on his knees and gently picked up the small bundle of fur. It was mostly black with white feet and it had a white patch on it's chest and chin. It could not have been more than three weeks old. It was on the small side. The poor thing was slightly emaciated. At least it wasn't full of fleas.

"Looks as though he hasn't eaten for days. Where could its mother be?", Michonne wondered outwardly and noticed something else at the back of the closet. It was a dead body of a cat. It looked like it was there for some time.

Michonne remembered the tin of cat food and went to get it. She found a bowl and emptied the can's contents in it and filled another bowl with water from the tap at the sink. While she was there, she looked through the window. It was still raining but not as heavily as before. By this, the lightening and thunder had stopped. She walked over to where Rick was and knelled down in front of him. The kitten was a little weak, but he could still stand. That was a good sign.

"The rain has eased up some. Let's get some food in him.", Michonne said and put the bowls of food and water in front of the little kitten.

"You think we should take him back with us? He won't be able to make it on his own.", Rick said as they watched the kitten eat.

"Olivia did mention seeing rats in the storage rooms. When he is old enough, he could help clear them out.", Michonne offered.

Hungry and thirsty, the kitten ate and drank half of what was put before him. After that, Rick rubbed its tiny belly until he belched. He promptly fell asleep in his arms.

 ****OooxxxooO****


	4. Chapter 4

**Stan**

A new day dawned.

Rick woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside his window. He smiled. He stretched and rubbed his eyes and looked at his watch. It was six o'clock. He looked up at the ceiling and thought about the day before. He recalled the game he and Michonne played on their way back home. He remembered how happy they were.

The glint of light from his ring on his left finger caught his eye. Then, a sadness came over him.

Michonne woke up early at five-thirty A.M. and went downstairs to make breakfast. She wanted to take Carl something to eat in time for when he woke up. He was still at the infirmary at Denise's behest. She wanted to keep him an extra night for observation to make sure he was well enough to go home. After finding a mixing bowl and frying pan in the cupboard, Michonne washed them. While she stood at the sink, she thought about the drive back home. She smiled to herself as she remembered Rick's smiles as they played her game and the little kitten sleeping soundly on his lap. Then, Rick had said that he was going to give the kitten to Carl, but, by the way he held and stroked the baby animal with so much care, she had a feeling he took the kitten more so for himself. Seeing Rick that way with the kitten melted her heart. She felt a little jealous of the animal and wished she was the one curled up in his lap and being stroked to sleep.

While she dried the frying pan and mixing bowl, for some unexplainable reason, she was suddenly plunged into a state of unhappiness. She didn't know why but the feeling was quite profound. She found it the oddest thing as she was actually having happy thoughts at that very moment, not sad ones. She paused, closed her eyes and sighed. She opened back her eyes and continued what she was doing.

By six-fifteen, Rick had shaved and combed his hair. He headed downstairs and half-way to the kitchen, he was greeted by rich scents of pancakes, eggs and bacon. Smiling to himself, he rounded the corner and entered the kitchen to see Michonne adding the last pancake to a mountain of others on a plate. On another plate next to it were scrambled eggs and neatly arranged strips of bacon. He stood and watched Michonne for a spell.

There she stood before the stove wearing an apron over her tank top and jeans. A beautiful, fearless warrior and skillful swordswoman who could wield a katana that bested any man. A fierce fighter she was, but, underneath it all, she was sweet, caring and nurturing. Her rich, smooth and blemish free skin he wondered if it was as soft as it looked. Her perfectly shaped eyes that seemed to always carry a certain spark in them whenever she looked his way. Those full lips of hers he wondered about them. Were they as sweet as her personality? Petite in stature, she stood at an ideal height four inches shy of his.

There was so many areas of her gorgeous body he found delightful to look at, to study and yearned to know. He gazed at her smooth toned arms, the same ones that embraced him a few nights ago that gave him a warm sense of safety and love. If only he could be in her arms at all times.

He allowed his eyes to move down to her slender waist that gave rise to ample round bosoms, the same bosoms she held him close to. He recalled how warm they felt against his face and hearing the steady beating of her heart. Then, she bent down to place the pancakes, eggs and bacon in the oven. His eyes hovered at her buttocks. They were one of the striking things he noticed about her on the first day they met. Now that they were in his sight, he thought that they were the right amount of roundness for his hands to grab a hold of, to knead and to mold. Never has he seen another quite as lovely as hers. She didn't take notice of his presence right away and he simply enjoyed every moment there was for he loved to watch her. He always did.

The sun rose higher above the trees beyond the walls. It's rays shone through the windows and straight into the kitchen flooding everywhere in it's warm orange glow. She turned and caught him watching her. She smiled. There was something about him that held her. Was it the clean-shaven look he had? Perhaps it was how the early morning light caught his face. Or was it the way how he was looking at her? Perhaps it was a combination of all three that made her plumb forget where she was and what she was doing.

She noticed something else. He wasn't wearing his ring. She looked up, their eyes met and for one small moment, they became transfixed. The kettle began to whistle. It's long protracted and blatant protests brought them out of their reverie. She blinked and turned. She quickly reached across the range and turned off the stove. Bringing her hand back, her wrist accidentally came in contact with the hot frying pan, it's edge burned her skin.

"Oh!", Michonne exclaimed. Snatching her hand back, she sucked in the air sharply. The burning sensation continued on well after she had removed her hand from the pan. Holding it in the other hand, her brows furrowed.

Rick immediately went to her side and gently took her hand in his. Upon close inspection, he could see a dark line starting to form, marring her smooth skin. He felt somewhat responsible for the injury she received. He lifted her hand up close to his mouth, pursed his lips and gently blew on it. Her heart stop beating for a second or two. Then, he kissed her hand lightly. The feel of his hands and his soft lips made her forget to breathe altogether. He looked up and their eyes met. Her pain, forgotten.

 ****~~OooO~~****

"Thanks Michonne. This was the best breakfast ever.", Carl said while enjoying his meal. He bit into his pancakes sopping in maple syrup. He was practically inhaling everything that was on the plate before him.

"You're welcome.", Michonne said and gave him a broad smile.

She watched him eat and was glad to see him almost back to himself. She looked across his bed and caught Rick looking and smiling at her. Lately, he had been looking at her and being quite bold with it. He was sitting on a chair with Judith in his lap and had just finished feeding her. Michonne's heart skipped a beat. It was hard for her to get used to his stares. She smiled back then looked away and back down on her plate. Just then, Denise came through the door and walked up to them wearing a big smile.

"Hey Dr. Cloyd. Michonne made you breakfast.", Rick said and pointed to a container that was on a table close by.

"Eggs, bacon and pancakes.", Denise said when she picked up the container.

"I could do with a hearty breakfast. I'm getting a little tired of eating oatmeal everyday. This is awesome. Thanks Michonne.", Denise said opening the container. She took a whiff of the food inside and closed her eyes and smiled before covering it back up again.

Next, she walked over to Carl and shone a pen-light in his eye. She measured his blood pressure and pulse rate. After that, she had him do a series of simple cognitive tests. When asked, he raised his hands straight out to the side and touched the tip of his nose while his eyes were closed. He completed the task with flying colors. His vitals were normal. Then, she had him get out of bed and walk. At first he was a bit unstable, but he managed to move around unassisted just fine.

"So doc...can I go home now?", Carl asked with enthusiasm and sat on the side of the bed.

"Yes. You most certainly can. Make sure to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. Don't lift anything heavy. You may have slight headaches from time to time and this is normal. But, if the headaches last for more than an hour at a time, let me know.", Denise said.

"You saved my life. Thank you.", Carl said looking up at her.

"I am glad you are with us.", Denise replied and gave him a wink.

Next, she showed Michonne and Rick how to clean and dress Carl's injuries. She told them that in three weeks he was to return to have the stitches removed.

"Doc. You got anythang for Michonne's hand? She burned it on the frying pan this morning.", Rick pointed out while he gave Judith something to drink.

"Rick. It's nothing. I'm fine.", Michonne said trying to downplay her injury. She insisted she didn't need anything but Denise looked her hand over and said,

"Oh. That needs something alright and I have just the ointment for it."

She walked off and went to the cabinet across the way. While she searched the cabinet, Michonne looked at Rick and thought how sweet it was of him to think of her. She thought back to the kitchen when he held her hand, blew on it and kissed it. She remembered how his breath felt on her skin and how his soft his lips were. She couldn't understand how he made her feel out of sorts and so right at the same time. She found herself looking a his lips. How red they were. How tasty they looked.

He seemed to have picked up on her thoughts and licked his lips. Her heart sped up. From the way he looked at her, she felt naked. As they stood exchanging looks, they were oblivious to Carl standing between them checking them out and grinning away. He looked at them, from one to the next and back. They didn't notice when Denise returned and was also looking at them. Carl watched the young doctor slowly count backward. Mouthing her count-down, 'five..four...three..two..one', she cleared her throat, "Ahem" before the two finally came to. Slightly embarrassed, Michonne blushed. Denise handed her a small tube and told her to how to use it.

 ****~~OooO~~****

After they all returned home, Carl went straight to his room and was greeted by a box of comics on his bed. At the doorway looking on were Michonne, Rick and Judith. Judith was fast asleep in Rick's arms.

"Comics! No way!", Carl said beeming.

He took some out of the box and looked at the covers. They were in series which pleased him even more. He was elated to have in his possession around a hundred X-Men comics.

"That's from Michonne. She wanted to surprise you when you came back home.", Rick said smiling. He lightly patted Judith on her back and slowly rocked her in his arms.

"Thank you Michonne. Thanks so much.", Carl gushed and stood up and hugged her. He sat back down on his bed and went back to looking at his comics. He held them as though they were priceless gems.

"There is more. Behind that door, in that closet is something from your dad.", Michonne said.

Carl got up and walked over to the closet. He knitted his brow wondering what could be on the other side. Then, he slowly opened the closet door. He gasped on seeing a sweet looking, tiny, black and white kitten sitting calmly and quietly looking back at him.

"He..he's mine?", Carl said surprised and somewhat in disbelief. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yes. He is.", Rick replied happily.

"Hey Stan. Aren't you a handsome one.", Carl said to the kitten and held him up in front of him and looked at him proudly.

"Stan?", Rick asked and continued to rub Judith's back. He began to walk towards the crib.

"After the great Stan Lee. Of course.", Carl said.

"Who is Stan Lee?", Rick asked.

"Comic book editor who co-created Spiderman, Hulk...", Carl began.

"Fantastic Four, Thor, X-Men..", Michonne continued.

"Iron man!", Carl and Michonne ended together.

Rick looked at Michonne and Carl and thought how cute that they both were huge comic book fanatics. He smiled. He gently lowered Judith into her crib and stroked the back of her head. Looking on was Michonne, she didn't realize it, but, she was no longer smiling. Carl saw this and understood why. He went up to her and gave her a warm hug. He knew she was thinking of Andre. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him right back. A hug was something she needed. Rick turned around and watched them.

 ****OooxxxooO****


	5. Chapter 5

**Say You Won't**

It was late afternoon when everyone already ate their dinner, had their baths and went off and did their own thing. Judith was downstairs in the living room with Michonne. She was on the rug playing happily with her toys. Carl was in his room quietly reading his comics. Michonne was curled up on a sofa chair intently reading a mystery novel. Rick had just had a shower. He'd put on a fresh white T-shirt and a pair of black jeans. His damp hair was slicked back. His face cleanly shaved. Barefooted, he walked downstairs and found Michonne. Her back was to him. She didn't hear him approach and stand behind her. But, she sensed his presence. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and she closed her eyes. He lightly stroked her cheek with his fingers and she tilted her head to him. He kneaded and molded her muscles, working his strong, warm hands into her flesh. His hands felt good. Her body rocked under his touches.

Her eyes, still closed, she could feel the tension slowly ebb away.

He continued molding and kneading her neck and shoulders. Gradually, he moved his hands down and slid them into her tank top and found her breasts. He let out a throaty moan as he cupped and squeezed her soft, warm, round globes. Aroused and surprised, she gasped.

Her eyes shot open. Her heart racing, she looked all around. Rick was not there. That was when she realized that she'd just woken up from a dream. Before that, she was reading her book on the chair and had fallen asleep. Across from her was Judith in her play pen playing with her toys and cooing away. She looked through the window and the sun was beginning to set.

Moments after that, Rick entered the room. He was wearing a green T-shirt and blue jeans. He was barefooted and his hair was damp and combed back. Michonne uncurled her legs, sat up straight and placed her feet squarely on the floor.

"Hey.", Rick said.

Walking past her, he quickly glanced at her with her book in her hand. He paused at the play pen and bent down and touched Judith's head.

"Hey.", Michonne responded and cleared her throat.

She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her thighs. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You okay?", Rick asked when he looked at her.

He wondered if she was getting a headache.

"Yeah.", Michonne replied.

"Do you need something? Aspirin? Water?", Rick began.

He turned around and slowly made his way towards her.

"I..I'm good. I fell asleep and, and just woke up. That's all.", Michonne said, still getting over the dream she had.

He closed the distance between them. She watched him bend down, fold his legs under him and sit on the floor in front of her right between her feet. He looked up at her and she studied his eyes trying to figure out what he was up to next. He then took the tube of ointment from out of his pocket and opened it and reached up and gently held her hand. He applied some antiseptic gel to the burn on her wrist. She watched him in silence.

"There. You got to remember to keep putting this on if you don't want to end up with a scar.", Rick said softly.

When he was through, he calmly placed the tube on the floor and continued to hold her hand. He lightly and slowly ran a finger along her wrist and down the center of her palm. His tender touches sent electrical pulses through her. They travelled from her hand, up her arm and throughout her entire body. Her lips parted slightly, her eyes found his. Her heart beat in her chest heavily. He leaned in and lightly kissed her hand. Her heart skipped a beat. His lips, soft and warm, moved to her wrist and he kissed the area next to the burn. He trailed light and tiny kisses up her inner arm while slowly rising up on his knees. He kissed the crease, where her arm folded and inhaled her scent while rubbing his lips back and forth enjoying the softness of her skin. He resumed trailing his kisses upward and onward to her clavicle and her neck. She closed her eyes. Then, he closed in on her lips. Her heart pounded madly in her chest. He kissed her slowly at first, savoring every sweetness he found.

Deepening their kisses, they closed their eyes. Michonne reached up and held his head in her hands, tasting him as her tongue explored the sweet caverns of his mouth. Rick, situated between her legs, he rested his hands on her thighs and lightly squeezed them and moaned softly in her mouth for her tastes were divine. To her, his lips were surprisingly fruity, she could go on kissing him all day. Their kisses grew more intense, they forgot where they were. Ricks hands moved to her hips and up her back. He wanted to possess her, claim her, mark her as his. He coiled his arms around her and pulled her in close. She did the same. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him. Then, he paused and she sensed something was amiss.

"I want this. I really do.", Rick whispered. He looked into Michonne's eyes, her hands rested on his shoulders.

"I understand if you're not ready.", Michonne said.

"I am. I want you, more than anything.", Rick said.

"I want you too.", Michonne said.

Their foreheads touched.

"I'm afraid.", Rick finally confessed after a while. Michonne nodded with her eyes closed.

"Me too.", she said softly. She opened her eyes and looked deeply into his.

"When Lori died, I didn't know if I would love again. Until you walked into our lives and awaken what I thought was forever gone.", Rick said.

From time to time, Michonne had seen him play with his ring. She felt that perhaps Lori was on his mind whenever he absentmindedly twirl it around his finger. Never once did she ask. Instead, she gave him all the space that he needed. It came as a surprise to her when she noticed he was no longer wearing the ring. She thought it meant he was ready to move on. Now, she wasn't so sure anymore.

"After. After the turn, I lost Mike and our son, Andre, I stopped believing and swore never again to let others in.", Michonne began.

Rick listened and wondered how remarkable this woman was. She'd lost her family, her man and her baby, and yet she still had enough love in her to care for his two. Now he understood why sometimes she looked forelorn and distant whenever she looked at Judith. Perhaps his daughter reminded her of her son.

"For a long time I was gone. All I did was exist. It was after I met you, Carl and Judith, and got to know you, that is when the rules had changed for me. That is when I stopped existing and started living again. I miss my boyfriend. I miss my son. And I know you miss your wife. But, we have a chance at happiness. You and your children make me happy and I want to be a part of that for however long that may be.", Michonne continued.

She covered his cheek with her hand and held it there. His eyes glossed over. A tear ran down her face. Her touch, gentle, sincere and loving and her words, took the pain away. His heart felt light in his chest for her touches gave him life, her words soothed him, her spirit renewed hope. He closed his eyes and sighed. He breathed deeply and for the first in a long while, he breathed easily. He covered her hand that was on his face with his and moved it to his lips and he kissed her palm.

"I don't want you to die.", Rick said. He looked into her eyes pleadingly.

"Say you won't and I won't either.", Michonne replied.

 ****OooxxxooO****


	6. Chapter 6

**'X'**

"How are you feeling today?", Michonne asked Carl. She walked with her sword strapped to her back.

It was a week after his accident and his strength had returned. They were out taking a late afternoon stroll. Michonne pushed the baby stroller with Judith in it as they slowly and leisurely walked down the road. They were already five houses away from theirs. Rick was at home lying on the couch. Stan slept on his stomach while he read his book. Things had slowed down a bit after the walls were repaired and the second wave of herd relocated. Meanwhile, Morgan, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, Abe and Sasha were away on a supply run. They had travelled out farther than they have ever done before and so were not expected to return for a couple of days.

"Pretty good. I haven't had any headaches since I got out of the infirmary. I'm still getting used to seeing out of one eye though.", Carl said with his gun and his hunting knife at either sides of his hips.

"It will take time. Your depth perception and blind spot is off and you have to be mindful of your surroundings more than ever before. It would be easy for someone or something to sneak up on you. You have to develop ways to overcome this if you don't want to become an easy target.", Michonne said.

"I understand.", Carl said.

"Your aim is quite good. With practice you will be back to your old self.", Michonne said.

They continued to walk slowly towards the little park in front of the Community Center. A few people they passed along the way walked up to them and made small talk. Michonne and Carl happily conversed with them as they smiled and waved at Judith and called her cute and adorable. Some offered to baby sit her. They all expressed how happy they were to see Carl up and around and wished him continued improvement in his health. Before they went off in their own directions, they genuinely thanked Michonne for helping to keep their community safe and standing when they became overrun by walkers after the walls fell.

"That was nice of them to say those things.", Carl said after they were alone again.

"Yes. I'm glad they have finally warmed up to us.", Michonne replied.

She spread a thick wool blanket on the grass under the tree in front of the bench.

"Do you think dad still thinks them and us are not one of the same?", Carl asked.

"At the start he didn't but I think he is starting to.", Michonne replied while picking Judith from out of the stroller.

"They are nice people but they still need our help.", Carl said sitting down on the bench.

"Rick was at first hesitant of this place, with good reason. He was only looking out for us. We just need to remind him of the good things this place offers and the people that are in it.", Michonne said taking a seat next to Carl after she put Judith and her toys down on the blanket and leaned her katana up against the tree.

"Michonne?", Carl said after a short pause.

"Yes?", Michonne replied while she watched Judith play by herself.

"Do you love my Dad?", Carl asked.

"Yes. Yes I do. With all my heart.", Michonne admitted.

She looked Carl, straight in the face when she said this. She didn't mind him asking. She didn't hesitate in answering.

After having experienced horrors together, there was no space in their universe for being shy about anything that was on their minds. Carl was like a son to her and a delightful young man to share just about anything with. She felt she could talk freely with him. She was actually glad he brought his father up.

"Does he know this?", Carl asked. He looked at her with the same piercing blue eyes as his father's.

"I think he does now.", Michonne said and smiled at him. After the kiss they shared a few days ago, she was certain of this.

"Good. I want you to be our mom.", Carl said looking at his little sister. He looked back at Michonne with searching eyes.

"You are my son and Judith my daughter.", Michonne said through tears in her eyes.

She was touched by Carl's statement. She reached out to him and he met her halfway and they hugged.

"How about we go out for target practice tommorrow?", Michonne offered. He handed her a tissue after they pulled apart. She thanked him and wiped her eyes and smiled.

"I'd love that!", Carl replied wholeheartedly. He beamed from ear to ear.

Then, a loud scream erupted. It came from the Neidermayer's.

Michonne first thought of getting to the community center. But the double door locks were flimsy. It would be easy for anyone to kick it in. Then, she remembered Rick telling her that should anything happen, they should meet up at the armory. The doors and windows there were securely grilled with steel bars and it would be a safe place for the kids to wait out until the situation changed for the better. Besides, it was only three houses away. So, she quickly picked up Judith and put her back into the stroller. She grabbed her katana and slung it over her back. Carl got to his feet and drew his gun. Without being prompted, he commandeered the stroller with one hand while Michonne walked next to them with her sword drawn and ready. As they made their way to the armory, they hid behind bushes and looked to see if it was safe to proceed. They saw a wild looking man standing over Mrs. Neidermayer. He hacked her head off with an axe. He was dirty and had the letter 'X' carved on his forehead.

Both horrified by what they saw, they decided on getting off the road and walk behind the houses along the east facing walls. Michonne hoped that the foliage along the wall would give them cover so they would go undetected. She saw Father Gabe and Enid crouching behind a rose bush at the side of a house. She got their attention and motioned them to join them once she could see the coast was clear. She became worried about Rick. She wanted to get to him and alert him. But, she knew she had protect Carl and Judith.

"I heard screams. Two men ran by my house and went next door. I heard one of them call themselves Rapers and that they are here to kill our men and rape, torture and kill our women. They forced themselves in and must have killed the Browns.", Father Gabe said with utter disgust upon his face.

He had a machete drawn. The blade was recently sharpened, so sharp that it gleamed white in the light. The handle was wrapped in duct tape for a better grip. Apparently the man of the cloth was serious about his weapon. Enid had a large hunting knife with her and seemingly wasn't afraid to use it.

"Ok. Let's move. Be careful. We don't know how many of them are out there.", Michonne warned.

As they were about to proceed, three people, armed with hatchets and knives, approached. One of them charged at Michonne. She immediately felt an adrenaline rush and she ran up to him and beheaded him with one swift blow of her katana. Father Gabe came up from behind and stabbed the second one in the stomach. He ran his blade hard and deep. The Raper died within seconds. He next chopped his head off with one sure blow. The third one, blond and slender, grabbed Enid from behind and covered her mouth with his dirty hand. Her knife fell on the ground. Carl spun around and shot at him but the bullet nicked the top of his ear. He didn't so much as flinch even though blood ran down his face and neck. Ordinarily, Carl would've gotten him between the eye, but, with just one eye functional, his aim was off. The crazed rapist killer put a knife to Enid's throat and sniffed her hair.

Carl, with his gun aimed at him cried out, "No!"

He became filled with fear on seeing his friend in the arms of a mad man. She began to weep, tears ran down her face. She was more afraid of being raped than being killed.

By this, four other people, all with the letter 'X' on their foreheads came running up to them. Michonne managed to kill two but the other two threw rocks at her and Father Gabe. Father Gabe was hit in the head and he fell instantly. He lay on the ground, out cold. The second missile hit Michonne on her right arm, her fighting arm. The force of it broke it and caused her to drop her katana to the floor. The two remaining Rapers grabbed her and held her. One on either side. The one holding Enid smiled. He was pleased to be in control.

"Hey boss, what we gonna do wid dis one? Should we kill her?", the scrapper looking man with the dirty teeth holding Michonne asked.

"No, keep her alive. She'll be entertainment, after we've taken this place.", the leader said.

"The girl too.", he added looking down at Enid. Then he ordered Fr. Gabe and Carl to lower their weapons.

"And the baby?", the same scrapper asked.

"We have no use for it. When we are through here, toss it over the wall. Let the dead have it.", the blond Wolf said.

"Shoot him.", Michonne implored to Carl.

The dirty teeth man punched her in the face. She reeled back. Blood trickled down from her nose.

"I, I can't.", Carl stuttered. He wanted to shoot the man dead but he feared he would kill Enid instead.

The lead killer laughed out loud and started to put his hand down Enid's shirt. She whimpered and struggled.

"When you take aim, you close one eye anyway. You can do it.", Michonne calmly said.

It was a gamble, but this was their last hope. Carl knew this. She looked at him, straight in his eyes. Then, Carl became calm. He raised his gun once again, took aim and squeezed the trigger, three times.

The lead killer fell like a ton of bricks. Enid had the presence of mind to step aside as he fell. As for the two other killers, they too fell to the ground with holes in their heads. Carl's aim was accurate and true.

Michonne picked up her Katana with her left hand and ran up to Father Gabe who had just started to come around. He was bleeding from the head but not badly. She and Carl helped him to his feet.

"Your arm!", Carl exclaimed as he stood in front of Michonne. He could see that it looked tender and swollen.

"It's broken. But, thanks to you, we are alive.", Michonne said proudly.

"Can you use your left hand?", Enid asked.

"I will have to.", Michonne replied.

Gun shots rang out. It came from the direction of the main entrance.

"That's Dad's python.", Carl said.

"Yes. It is.", Michonne said.

They both recognized the sound of Rick's gun. Then, three more people ran up to them. Michonne met them half way and managed to slice the arm off of the closest one. He cried out and held his arm with the other hand. Distracted by the pain, he didn't see Father Gabe rush him and chop his head off clean. The other two were gunned down by Carl. Again, his aim was on par. He got them between the eyes. He smiled to himself. Michonne smiled at him.

"Let's keep going. Keep close.", Michonne said.

More gunshot were heard. Gray smoke filled the community. The smell of burnt flesh wafted towards them. The rogue group had set fire to their victims. As though they were high on crack, they could be seen running through the streets hacking away at anyone they saw. Some of the people they killed came back and started to roam the streets in search of human flesh.

"Michonne, look behind you. Walkers.", Enid warned as she carried Judith in her arms.

Judith kept quiet though a terrified look was on her face.

It was the Browns. Roy and his son Bruce now in hot pursuit as walkers. Father Gabe turned and held his ground as they approached closer. He met them with the wrath of his sharp blade. In two two's they were eliminated. A good stab through the mouth of one and a clean beheading of the other. But, that was not it. In the poor visibility, three dark figures ran towards them. Carl took aim and Michonne and Fr. Gabe readied their blades. It was Rosita, Spencer and Tara.

"Have you seen Rick?", Michonne asked when they came into view.

"No. Carol and Morgan is back there handling the situation. There are still a few of them around. Me and Spencer got some. Tara too.", Rosita reported.

She looked at Michonne's right arm and she could see it was injured.

"We're heading for the armory. I'm hoping Rick will meet us there.", Michonne said.

The pain had begun to set in. Her arm was terribly swollen now. So much so the skin looked shiny.

"Looks like you need to get that arm looked at.", Spencer said looking on.

"He's right. Go to the infirmary.", Rosita insisted.

"I'll be fine. We need to keep moving.", Michonne suggested.

With that, they parted ways. Michonne, Carl, Enid, Judith and Fr. Gabe continued their way to the armory. When they got there, Olivia saw them through the window and let them in. Oddly enough, the woman did not think of arming herself even though she was surrounded by guns and ammunition. Carl picked up a 9 mm and loaded it with a full clip and gave it to her and quickly instructed her on how to use it. She looked as though she was going to hurl but calmed down after a while. Michonne asked Olivia if she had seen Rick. She said no. They waited around for about fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, the sounds of gunshots were still heard in the distance. Still, no Rick. Michonne decided to go look for him.

"You can't go out there with your arm like that.", Fr. Gabe said.

"I need to find Rick. He may be in trouble.", Michonne said holding her katana in her left hand.

"I will go with you.", Gabe said.

"It is better you stay and protect them.", Michonne said. She knew he meant well, but, she was right and he didn't fight her on this.

"Keep the doors locked. I'll be back with your dad.", Michonne promised and looked at Carl.

Michonne disappeared into the thick smoke. Her arm throbbed with pain and she ignored it. She hid between houses as she made her way to the corner house. When she finally got there, the door had been kicked in. A sense of dread came over her. She walked inside. There was obvious signs of struggle. A side table was overturned. Broken glass was on the floor. Blood. A large pool of it stretched out across the floor from the kitchen. She ran up to the kitchen and found a dead man lying face down with the back of his head blown out. It was not Rick. She went upstairs and searched the rooms. He was no where to be found. She went back downstairs and headed straight for the door.

Just as she opened the door, a tall man with long black coarse hair and beard stood threateningly at the doorway glaring at her. Wide shoulders and deep chested, he was twice her size. A powerful son of a bitch. He had a rusty axe in his hands. The letter 'X' crudely etched into his forehead. He smiled devilishly at her, revealing a set of black teeth. His face was covered in blood as were his hands and axe. He was too close for her to bring up her sword in time. He head butted her and she staggered. He wrestled the katana from out of her hand. He dropped his axe on the floor and wrapped his thick arms around her. He lifted her clear off the ground. She cried out from pain. Her right hand had gotten in the way. He took her into the house and threw the both of them onto the couch. His large, heavy and smelly body pinned her down. She could not move. Not even an inch.

He savagely tore her tank top to reveal her breasts. While he held both her arms above her head, she cried out again. He raked his rough, dirty, blood stained hands down her body and reached for her jeans. He undid the button and zip and in one deft move, he pulled her pants and undies down past her hips. He undid his pants as well, and pulled out his cock. He was ready to enter. She had no use of her hands or legs but she still had her teeth. She sank her teeth into his nose. She clamped down as hard as she could. He cried out. The pain made his eyes water. He tried to wrest his face from her but she held on for dear life. He released her arms and held her throat. The world started to disappear as he squeezed her neck.

Chock!

Michonne coughed as air filled her lungs again. The rapist's hands relaxed around her neck. He had a surprised look on his face and blood ran down his face like a waterfall. He slumped forward, his head dropped heavily on her shoulder. He was dead. The blade of an axe stuck out half-way from the top of his head. Then a face appeared above them. Familiar piercing blues stared back at her. It was Rick. His face was blood splattered. He leaned forward and pulled the dead Raper from off of her and threw him aside onto the floor with a loud thud. She got up and stood up while grasping her right arm. The pain had worsen. While she modestly covered her breasts with her injured arm, she pulled up her pants with her right hand and zipped up. She trembled as she struggled to button her pants. Rick was upset. Michonne was hurt and was almost raped. He didn't say anything. He quietly buttoned her pants and zipped up her leather vest for her. She thanked him. He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. There was no time to talk about what could've happened. All that mattered was that she was ok, he was ok and they were together. He was desperate to know if his kids were alright.

"Carl and Judith?", Rick asked pleadingly as he searched her face for answers.

"They are at the armory with Enid, Olivia and Fr. Gabe.", Michonne replied. Rick was relieved.

"Your arm is turning black and blue. We got to get you to the infirmary.", Rick said.

"I can still fight with my left hand.", Michonne said.

"Don't argue. We're going.", Rick said firmly.

They left the house and went to the infirmary. On the way there, four Rapers came at them. Rick stood in front of Michonne and shot them in the head. It was still quite a ways to go. More Rapers came at them and again, Rick took them out. They stopped by the armory along the way and everyone there were fine. Rick reloaded his guns before they continued on. Two more houses later, they were at the infirmary. The frequency of gun shots had begun to die down. Tobin and Heath were there. Heath was stabbed in the shoulder and Tobin helped get him there. Denise, the one doctor available had just finished stitching him up. She sprang into action the moment Michonne and Rick walked in. She quickly looked Michonne's arm over and wrapped her forearm with padding before putting a cast on it. She gave her a shot of pain killers. By this, Rick and Tobin had already left.

Before the cast could set, Michonne was on her feet and out the door. So was Heath. She could see Rick and Tobin up the street shooting Rapers. She and Heath teamed up and managed to kill three more Rapers. They had to quickly adapt to using their left hand. Not long after that, it was all over. Then the clean up began. Bodies were piled up into the back of a van, Rapers and walkers alike, then moved to a clearing beyond the walls and burned. Everywhere was checked. Houses, crawl spaces under porches and decks as well as areas with foliage were checked. By the time the streets were cleared and bodies removed, it was night.

 **~*000*oOo*000*~**


	7. Chapter 7

**How It Should Always Be**

Michonne and Rick checked in on Carl. The moment his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep. It was a long day. A tiring day. Judith, however, refused to go to sleep. Perhaps after a horrendous day, she was still processing what she'd witnessed. She was not crying or anything like that. She just clinged to her father. Michonne and Rick were both tired themselves too but concerns about the safety of their community was on their minds. They went downstairs in the living room and took Judith with them. There, they spoke about what had happened hours before.

"We need to beef up on our security. We can't afford for something like this to happen again.", Michonne began.

They both sat on the rug with their backs resting against the wall with cushions behind them. Rick had Judith in his lap. She touched his face and cooed softly. Perhaps she was worried about her father and wanted to spend as much time as possible with him.

"Starting tomorrow, every door will be reinforced with steel plates and extra locks installed.", Rick said.

"We could build two towers. One at the front and one at the back. And put people on watch rotation.", Michonne added.

"Everyone needs to be trained in weaponry and self-defence. Abraham can help out in both.", Rick suggested.

"Sasha, Carl and Carol are good shots. They can train others to shoot.", Michonne said.

"Carl is indeed a sharp shooter. I was afraid just having one eye would affect his accuracy.", Rick said.

"Today, he did quite well. He missed only once and not even by a large margin. After that, he adapted quickly. I am so proud of him.", Michonne beamed.

"I can see that. That you are proud.", Rick said and chuckled.

He loved these moments when he and Michonne talked shop. As they interchanged their ideas, he saw how well her ideas always fit perfectly with his. She was never out of step with him. She never lost hope or sight of their survival. She always thought ahead and came up with brilliant plans on how to make improvements and how to make things better for everyone.

"Those men. The Rapers. Do you think there are more of them out there?", Michonne asked.

Rick could hear the worry in her voice.

"No. I think they were a small disorganized group with strange rules. They didn't seem to have a base.", Rick said patting Judith's back.

Stan who was smart enough to hide in the kid's closet during the siege, casually walked up to Michonne and curled up in her lap.

"You mean like nomads raping a pillaging as they go along?", Michonne asked. She stroked the kitten who promptly went to sleep.

"Exactly that. I interrogated one of them before I killed him.", Rick said.

"You mean the one I found in our kitchen? He deserved what you gave him.", Michonne said. She said it with the utmost hatred and contempt.

"Yes. That was him.", Rick said.

"What did he say?", Michonne asked.

"He said they lived out in the open robbing and killing people as they moved from place to place. Never setting roots down. Until they saw this place, they planned on taking it after killing everyone but a few select women to keep on as sex slaves.", Rick said in disgust.

"The leader had aspirations for me and Enid. He wanted to toy with us and use us as entertainment after they took our place. He wanted to throw Judith over the wall.", Michonne said nearly spitting at the thought of the blond rapist killer.

She remembered feeling helpless when she was held by two of the Rapers and listening to the leader's evil plans.

"He...he wanted to do that? To Judith?", Rick asked.

He was both shocked and angry, Michonne could hear it in his voice. Judith put her head on his chest which seemed to calm him down some. He kissed the top of her head.

"Carl killed him and four of his cronies. If it wasn't for Carl, me, Enid and Fr. Gabe wouldn't be here. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive.", Michonne said. She watched Judith rub her eyes and yawn.

"If it weren't for you, me, the kids wouldn't be here either. But, are you ..okay? After, after what that man did to you?", Rick said.

He reached up and gently touched her face. He couldn't get the image out of his head of Michonne helpless and so tiny as she struggled under the large man and his hands hurting her. The image of her clothes, torn. And her hands, how they shook. He feared that her spirit had been broken. She seemed together and intact. But he wanted to make sure that he had his Michonne with him. If he could, he would revive that sick fuck and kill him, except slowly. He hated seeing him touch her. He hated seeing her hurt.

"I am better. You, you make me better. I try not to dwell on things like that. I prefer to think about things that make me happy.", Michonne said and smiled.

She looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes that gave him hope and promise. He stroked her cheeks with his fingers. He was glad his concerns were put to rest.

"You make me happy.", Rick said softly.

"You too.", Michonne replied.

She covered his hand with hers and kept looking at him. She took his hand into hers and weaved her fingers in his. Not letting go, she continued.

"When I took the kids to the park, Carl asked me something. He asked me if I loved you.".

There was a pause. Rick knew the answer from the way she looked at him now. But, he wanted to hear it. He wanted her to say yes.

"I told him...yes."

 ***ox0xo***

Rick held Michonne by her hand and side by side, they quietly walked up the stairs. He carried Judith in the other side as she slept. Her little head rested on his shoulder. They took her to her room, the same room she shared with her brother and Rick gently lay her down in her crib. For a while, they stood holding hands watching her sleep and smiled on seeing Carl in his own bed surrounded by his comics, sleeping soundly away.

They left the kids' room and entered Michonne's with Rick leading the way. Closing the door behind him, he turned and faced Michonne who stood next to the bed waiting on him. He walked up to her and kissed her on the lips. He held the back of her head as he did this. Their tongues collided. She instantly felt giddy as his kisses were as intoxicating as sweet wine. While they kissed, he found the ends of her tank top and hiked it up and over her head, taking extra care with her arm that was in a cast. He went down on his knees and unbuttoned and zipped down her jeans and helped her out of them. Next, he pulled off his T-shirt and tossed it aside. He stood up and removed his pants and stood before her in only his boxer briefs. She was wearing matching underwear. Purple laced bra and panties. He thought she looked sexy. He could feel his pupils expand. She reminded him of a Sports Illustrated Magazine cover model by the way her athletic body was perfectly formed, except, she was more alluring.

She turned her back to him and he unhooked her bra. He kissed her shoulder and slowly moved the straps down past them. He kissed her neck and caressed her arms.

While her back was still to him, she allowed her bra to fall to the floor. She slowly turned around and faced him. His eyes lowered to her breasts. He found them gorgeous. Yummy in fact. He licked his lips. The hungry look he gave made her heart skip a beat. His penis began to extend and she noticed. He removed his last piece of clothing and stood ravishingly naked before her. His toned body matched hers. She liked what she saw. Her eyes hovered and remained on his cock which now pointed threateningly at her as if to say, 'I want you'. She licked her lips and bit down on her bottom lip.

He took her into his arms and kissed her again, on the lips. His hands set free, explored her soft curves. He cupped her breasts and gave them a squeeze. He bent down and took one into his mouth and hungrily sucked. He didn't fail to neglect the other for he moved his mouth over to it and gave it the same treatment as its twin. Her nipples hardened and he flicked it with his tongue while he tweaked the other with his fingers. She didn't understand why men found breasts so fascinating. For whatever reason, she loved him gaze at them like a hungry and wild animal and she loved what he was doing with them. She moaned lightly and closed her eyes and rocked her head back. She held his head to her bosoms for she was enjoying the feel of his mouth and tongue on her tits. He stood back up straight and looked into her eyes. He held her by the small of her back and eased her gently onto the bed.

He kissed her on the mouth and sucked on her bottom lip. He wanted to enter her right there and then. But, he had other plans. He moved down to her pelvis while trailing kisses along the way. She parted her legs for him. Her snatch was bald and beautiful. On seeing this, he emitted a low growl from the base of his throat. Hearing him excited her, she began to secrete cum. He could see this and this turned him on. He licked her folds lightly at first and though she expected it, she jumped a little when his cool tongue touched her hot vagina. In no time she settled down and her body responded to what came next. He covered her pussy entrance with his mouth and sucked and licked and lapped it with so much voracity she creamed his lips right away. He moaned as he tasted her musk and sweet. He lapped every drop there was. She wiggled on his mouth and came, hard.

Heart racing, chest rising and falling, she needed a day to recover from the biggest orgasm she had ever received in over a year and perhaps in her entire adult life. That is if he'd allow it. She didn't see him fish a condom from out of his pants and put it on. With a devilish grin on his face, he watched her climax repeatedly. He could see her pussy clenching and relaxing over and over. Her skin glowed. Her breasts were swollen. She looked beautiful.

Wasting no time, he climbed on top of her and slowly eased himself in. Her throbbing vagina clenched and relaxed around him, nearly making him ejaculate. He looked straight into her eyes as he slowly moved deeper in. She gasped as she felt him fill her up for the first time while she still rode out her orgasms. She felt as though she was going to go insane. Never had she felt this way before. The sensation was raw and wild. She caught herself moving under him, thrusting her pelvis to and fro, matching his every move. She opened up her legs wider for him as he pistoned in and out. She held his head in her hands and moaned in his ear and said his name softly.

"Hmm. Rick."

In the past, he thought about making love especially at nights when he was alone and having a shower. Many nights he played their first time in his head and he imagined being gentle with her at first. But now, those ideas were thrown out. The way she moved, felt, tasted and sounded, he couldn't help but let go and be free. She was more than surprised by what he did. For without her having to say a single word, he knew exactly what she wanted, when she wanted it, and how she wanted it. This was better than what she dreamed.

Time was forgotten and they made love in many different positions. Their apetites had not waned. On the contrary, it grew. They could not get enough of each other. It had been too long a wait. Now was their time.

 ***ox0xo***

Many orgasms later, they lay in the middle of the bed naked and in each others' arms. The house was quiet and they were the only two who were still awake.

"I have a confession to make.", Rick started.

He got her full attention and she listened on intently. She held his hand in hers and looked up at him while her head rested on his shoulder.

"Carl asked me the same question today. Just before he left with you and Judith for the park. He asked me if I loved you.", Rick said looking into Michonne's eyes. Now the shoe was on the other foot. She looked at him expectantly and waited on him to finish, to say that one word. After a short pause, he said,

"I said, yes."

She looked at him and saw love, strength and determination, the same qualities she adored from the very first time she laid eyes on him. As she looked at him, he saw in her a kindness and a type of love and devotion that always gave and gave without asking for anything in return. He wished he could give her the world for he loved her so. As he held her in his arms, he soaked up the wonderful dreamy feeling she gave him and thought to himself that this is how it should always be.

He lowered his head and kissed her softly on the lips. Then they made love again.

 **~*000*oOo*000*~**


End file.
